ROME TO TURIN ITALY’S WESTERN SHORES OCTOBER 2-18, 2017 TOUR LEADER: DR KATHLEEN OLIVE ROME TO TURIN Overview ITALY’S WESTERN SHORES On this 17-day journey, explore the stunning west coast of Italy. Study the history and admire the natural beauty of the Italian coastline from northern Tour dates: October 2-18, 2017 Lazio, along the Tyrrhenian coast, through to Turin. Detailed visits to leading archaeological sites, galleries and museums are combined with Tour leader: Dr Kathleen Olive boat and land excursions. Food and wine play a central role in Italian culture, and we have included several memorable meals, accompanied by Tour Price: $8,750 per person, twin share excellent regional wines. Single Supplement: $1,950 for sole use of Examine the fascinating civilisation of the ancient Etruscans, visiting well double room preserved sites in Tarquinia and Cerveteri. Spend time on the beautiful Island of Elba, famous as the short-lived kingdom of exiled emperor Booking deposit: $500 per person Napoléon. Travel to Pisa to study its powerful medieval maritime dominance. Explore the rocky and colourful stretch of fishing villages Recommended airline: Emirates known as the Riviera di Levante (Rising Sun), that extends from the remote hamlets of the Cinque Terre, past the striking harbour of Portofino Maximum places: 20 and on to Genoa, a port city undergoing a modern revival. Our journey ends in Turin, an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. Itinerary: Terme di Stigliano (3 nights), Porto The journey has all the characteristics of an Academy Travel tour – mostly Azzurro (2 nights), Pisa (3 nights), Camogli (4 three and four night stays in friendly hotels which have been personally nights), Turin (4 nights) inspected by our staff, background talks before site visits and a maximum group size of just 20. Date published: November 8, 2016 Your tour leader Dr Kathleen Olive has more than 15 years’ experience leading tours to Italy. She has a PhD in Italian literature, regularly presents popular courses at Sydney University’s Centre for Continuing Education and at the WEA, Sydney, and speaks fluent Italian. Kathleen has a specific interest in Italian culture of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, from the connections between the literature of Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio and the painting of Giotto, through to the control of cultural life under Florence’s Medici family. Renaissance culture has also been the focus of Kathleen’s academic research, and in 2015 her critical edition of a key Italian text – the Codex Rustici, a commonplace book compiled and illustrated by a 15th-century Florentine goldsmith – was published by Olschki. Together with co-author Nerida Newbigin, Kathleen was in Florence when this publication was Enquiries and presented to Pope Francis I as an official gift on his first trip to the city, and it has subsequently been launched at the Uffizi Galleries in Florence, bookings the Vatican Museums in Rome, the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale in Florence (Italy’s Library of Congress) – and even at the Custodia della For further information and to Terra Santa in Jerusalem! secure a place on this tour please contact Erin Laffin at “Kathleen was an outstanding tour leader. She was exceptionally Academy Travel on knowledgeable and a gifted presenter. She went above and beyond, 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 looking after group members’ individual needs and making sure everyone (outside Sydney) or email was happy. Her obvious passion for Italy was infectious. I would love to do [email protected] a tour with her again.” Feedback from Academy Travel’s Grand Tour of Italy, April 2015 Tour Highlights CINQUE TERRE Experience the best of the Cinque Terre – by private boat along the dramatic coastline, on foot, and by lunching on the waterfront. ISLAND OF ELBA Explore this fascinating island with its untamed beauty and varied landscape. As well as an important stopping-off point for Mediterranean traders, Elba has been known since Antiquity for its precious deposits of iron and the Greeks, Etruscans and Romans were all interested in exploiting its natural resources. THE FIRST ITALIANS By the beginning of the 7th century BCE, the Etruscans occupied much of central Italy and their vibrant culture influenced Roman civilisation, particularly its art and architecture. We visit some of the most important and best- preserved Etruscan sites in Italy at Tarquinia and Cerveteri. CARRARA MARBLE Only the purest limestone results in high-quality white marble, and Carrara has been famous since Antiquity for its abundant deposits. The stone for Trajan’s Column in Rome and Michelangelo’s David was quarried here. We travel into the mountains above Carrara to visit the famed ‘Marble Cathedral’ quarries. PINACOTECA AGNELLI Visit the impressive Fiat complex revitalised by Renzo Piano, including the remarkable private art collection at the Pinacoteca Agnelli, where works range from Canaletto, Renoir and Manet to Picasso, Modigliani and Matisse. Detailed itinerary Included meals are shown with the letters B, L and D. Monday October 2 Arrive Meet your tour leader, Dr Kathleen Olive, at Rome Fiumicino airport to commence the tour and travel by coach to the hotel in Terme di Stigliano. There are welcome drinks and dinner at the hotel. Overnight Grand Hotel Terme di Stigliano (D) Tuesday October 3 Ostia ANTICA and Porto di Claudio Today we visit Ostia Antica, which was Rome’s port for several centuries, and one of Italy’s best-preserved archaeological sites. After our welcome lunch at a local restaurant, we continue exploring the Roman world at the archaeological park at Porto di Claudio. Overnight Terme di Stigliano (B, L) Wednesday October 4 Cerverteri and Lake Bracciano Our first stop this morning is the 6th-century BCE Necropoli di Bandidaccia outside Cerverteri, home to one of Italy’s greatest Etruscan treasures. We continue on to Castel Giuliano to visit Palazzo Patrizi. The grounds here show Marchesa Patrizi’s passion for roses with hundreds of ancient species surrounding the Etruscan tombs. Our day ends in the town of Bracciano, perched above the volcanic lake, which has a well-preserved Renaissance castle built by the Orsini and the Borgia families. This evening we have dinner at a lakeside restaurant. Overnight Terme di Stigliano (B, D) Thursday October 5 Tarquinia and the tarot garden Today we travel to the Island of Elba. One the way, we stop in Tarquinia to visit the remarkably well preserved 4th- century BCE tombs, and the National Etruscan Museum. We continue on to Capalbio to tour Giardino dei Tarocchi. This “Tarot Garden” was designed by French artist Niki de Saint Phalle with riotous colours and sculptures that echo the work of Gaudí in Barcelona. We arrive on to the Island of Elba in the early evening and have dinner in our hotel. Overnight Hotel Plaza, Porto Azzurro, Elba (B, D) Friday October 6 Napoléon on Elba Elba is perhaps most famous for being Napoléon’s place of exile, although it was also a major trading post for Greek, Roman and Italian traders. This morning we visit Palazzina dei Mulini – a Napoleonic palace which contains original furniture and Napoléon’s impressive private library. Our walking tour also includes the Archaeological Museum. In the early afternoon we take a panoramic coach tour of the island. Overnight Porto Azzurro, Elba (B) Saturday October 7 Villa di San Martino Today before we depart for Pisa, we visit Villa di San Martino , Napoléon's summer residence. The villa has a collection of antiques and works of art that date back to his exile. We then take the ferry to the mainland, meeting our coach and travelling to San Piero a Grado, an 11th-century Romanesque basilica, before arriving in Pisa. We have dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Hotel Bologna, Pisa (B, D) Sunday October 8 Pisan Romanesque This morning we explore the cosmopolitan style of medieval Pisa, influenced by its eastern trade. At San Paolo a Ripa we admire the distinctive Pisan Romanesque style, while at Santa Maria della Spina we admire the delicate Gothic architecture of its reliquary chapel. In the afternoon we take a guided tour of the spectacular Piazza dei Miracoli, from the magnificent cathedral to the careful restorations of war- damaged frescoes in the Camposanto. There is time to climb the Leaning Tower if you wish. Overnight Pisa (B) Monday October 9 Lucca Today we make the short trip to Lucca. On our walking tour of this beautiful, well-healed town, we explore its fascinating history, from its Roman origins, to its medieval streets and Renaissance walls. We also visit Palazzo Pfanner, whose rooms evoke life in an 18th-century palazzo, and gardens capture the luxuriousness of the baroque. Lucca has excellent shops and there is free time here before we return to Pisa. Overnight Pisa (B) Tuesday October 10 Mountains of marble This morning we travel to Carrara, where we explore the historic centre, including the Museo Civico del Marmo. In the early afternoon we appreciate the sheer labour of the industry in a guided tour of the Fantiscritti quarries, the so- called Marble Cathedral. Afterwards we continue on to Camogli, on the Italian Riviera. We have dinner in the hotel. Overnight Hotel Cenobio dei Dogi, Camogli (B, D) Wednesday October 11 Monks and millionaires San Fruttuoso di Capodimonte, on the Italian Riviera, enjoys splendid isolation, reached only by boat or by steep trek from Camogli. After our guided visit of the complex, we take a boat around the peninsula to Portofino. This small fishing village became popular with the rich and famous in Images clockwise – from top left: on site at Ostia Antica; Piazza dei the 1950s and is now an exclusive resort town.